Melbourne [Australia], February 1: Elena Rybakina won her power battle with Aryna Sabalenka to claim a first Australian Open title.
Three years after losing to the same opponent in one of the great recent grand slam finals, and three-and-a-half since winning her first major title at Wimbledon, Rybakina is back at the top of the women's game.
It will be another bitter pill to swallow for Sabalenka, who led 3-0 in the deciding set, only for Rybakina to stage a fightback and triumph 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Having won back-to-back titles in Melbourne in 2023 and 2024, Sabalenka has now lost close finals two years in a row after Madison Keys got the better of her 12 months ago.
Last year she lost five of her nine finals, including bitterly to Coco Gauff at the French Open and to Rybakina at the WTA Finals, and, while she claimed a fourth slam title at the US Open, the pattern is undeniable.
Sabalenka smiled through her disappointment on the podium, saying: "Thank you to my team for always being there, enduring me losing finals, but also sometimes we win them so let's hope for the best."
Rybakina, who has now won 10 consecutive matches against top-10 opponents, served out the victory with her sixth ace, celebrating in typically understated fashion with a clench of the fist.
Neither player would have been unhappy about seeing the roof shut, with damp conditions in Melbourne, although they would both surely rather have been facing a different opponent in such circumstances.
This was a first-strike battle between two of the biggest hitters in the game, with both women knowing the slightest hesitation would be pounced on.
Given Rybakina's talents, it was a surprise she had not reached a slam final since 2023, when she was touted as part of a women's 'big three' with Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
The 26-year-old immediately set about making up for lost time with a fearsome returning game to break the Sabalenka serve.
Even the Belarusian can be outgunned by Rybakina, whose flat, driven ground strokes are past an opponent in a flash, while her serve is the biggest in the women's game.
She had struggled to land it consistently in the last couple of matches, though, and it was the same in the first set here, but it came to her rescue when she needed it facing two break points at 4-3.
Rybakina saved the first with an ace and the second with a serve that Sabalenka could not get into play, and the world number one looked frustrated as her opponent chalked up the opening set.
A factor in Rybakina's dip over the past couple of years has been the allegations against her coach, Stefano Vukov, of abusive behaviour towards her.
The Croatian, who has always denied any wrongdoing, was given a year's suspension by the WTA last season, but it was lifted on appeal in August, with Rybakina staunchly defending Vukov throughout.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the case, there is no doubt her results have picked up since he returned, culminating last year in victory at the WTA Finals.
Rybakina praised her coaching team after picking up the trophy, saying: "We had a lot of things going on and I'm really glad we achieved this result."
Sabalenka insisted ahead of this clash she had learned from her final heartache and the second set certainly seemed to indicate that was the case. Her stress levels must have been rising as Rybakina withstood pressure to keep pace, moving to within two games of victory.
But Sabalenka did not panic, kept a lid on her emotions and pounced at 5-4 to send the contest to a deciding set.
When she extended her run of consecutive games to five, it seemed a fifth slam title was close, but Rybakina, whose ice-cool demeanour is almost unnerving, hit back to level.
Now Sabalenka was gesticulating and shaking her head and the tension began to transmit to her game.
She bashed and kicked her racket as Rybakina extended her run to five games in a row and the fifth seed was nerveless serving it out.
Source: Qatar Tribune
